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Anti-cancer eggs developed

Genetically modified chickens that can lay eggs containing proteins used to make anti-cancer drugs have been developed by scientists at the Roslin Institute in the UK

The scientists say they've produced five generations of chickens (about 500) that can produce useful levels of these proteins in egg whites, BBC News reported.

The research, described in this week's issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could help make a number of drugs easier and less expensive to produce.

"One of the characteristics of lots of medical treatments these days is that they're very expensive," Prof. Harry Griffin, director of the Roslin Institute, told BBC News.

"The idea of producing the proteins involved in treatments in flocks of laying hens means they can produce in bulk, they can produce cheaply and, indeed, the raw material for this production system is quite literally chicken feed," Griffin said.

However, much more research is needed before this method of protein production for medicine could possibly be fully developed, BBC News reported. – (HealthDayNews)

Read more:
Cancer Centre

January 2007

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